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STV News
2 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Female entrepreneurs 'face glass ceilings and locked doors' in Scotland
A 'perfect storm' is stalling the growth of women-led businesses in Scotland as new research shows most fail to grow beyond the start-up stage – sparking urgent calls for targeted support. Women's Enterprise Scotland (WES) estimates that improving survival rates for women-led enterprises could unlock up to £17bn per year for the Scottish economy – more than half the annual contribution of the entire energy sector. Yet despite this economic potential, new research reveals that the majority of women-led start-ups struggle to progress beyond their early years. According to its survey, women now make up 54% of all start-ups in Scotland, but only 20% of employer businesses are led by women. The drop-out rate for new businesses after they start is currently 61%, showing that many don't last long past their early stages. Dr Antoinette Douglas, co-founder of fashion label Beira in Edinburgh, said women face multiple challenges on a daily basis. She launched her design business ten years ago and says she's fought to keep it alive – having been forced to close her Stockbridge shop and moving fully online after the rent doubled and footfall dropped sharply. 'I spend 80-90% of my time on business admin, accounts and logistics, which is not what I want to do,' she said. 'I want to create beautiful products, but I'm dealing with administration, bureaucracy and fighting to get my fair share of the pie. 'It would have been so easy for me to give up – but I'm quite tenacious. I don't give up easily. 'I'm really proud we've managed to keep going despite the obstacles.' The survey illustrated the state-of-play for women in business across Scotland against a challenging economic backdrop. The study found experiences of discrimination have doubled since 2016, with 68% of survey respondents reporting that they had experienced discrimination as a woman business owner. STV News Dr Antoinette Douglas co-owns fashion label Beira Key structural challenges identified include funding inequalities, with women-led businesses receiving just 2.8% of equity investment; caring commitments, with 29% starting up to work around care responsibilities; support mis-match, with 58% saying mainstream support does not meet their needs, and a digital divide with just 15% being able to access relevant funding, despite 78% wanting digital investment. Dr Douglas said more 'female-centric' business support is needed. 'Many of the female entrepreneurs I know are hardworking and unbelievably resilient. We've not only got glass ceilings – we've got locked doors. 'Women have so many challenges. We have a higher emotional load, dealing with things beyond work – money, family, running the household – all this layered on top of running our business.' She also claims she has faced 'mansplaining' while trying to secure funding and support. 'I don't think many men in my position are asked if they understand the difference between turnover and profit -it's unbelievable,' she said. 'Fashion is viewed as a lifestyle cottage industry – people don't believe in what you're doing. 'That quite often comes from men, who are often in a position of power when you're going to get capital. It becomes really difficult. That's unfortunate.' STV News CEO Carolyn Currie warns female business owners face 'perfect storm' of challenges in Scotland Chiefs say the decline in Scotland is at odds with the increase in established women-led businesses in countries around the world. Despite challenges, 62% of women business owners surveyed said they expect some level of turnover growth in the next 12 months. Carolyn Currie, CEO of Women's Enterprise Scotland is calling for urgent action to stop women-led businesses falling through the cracks. 'A perfect storm of economic conditions and structural inequalities is halting the progress of women-led businesses, despite their start-up successes. 'What we are seeing is an alarming number of new women-led businesses failing to thrive. They are simply falling into an abyss, leaving their economic potential and the ambitions of their founders unfulfilled. 'Many of the issues – and suggested actions that need to be taken – have been highlighted in research numerous times over the past 30 years. 'We can continue to watch talented women entrepreneurs leave the market, taking billions in economic potential with them, or we can implement the evidence-based solutions this study provides. The choice is clear – the community has spoken, and we need to listen. The time for action is now.' The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Alarm as women-led businesses 'fail to thrive' in Scotland
WES has found that while women-led start-ups have increased to 54% of the total, the post-start-up pipeline has an attrition rate of 61%. Women-led employer businesses have dropped to just 20% of all employer businesses, its research shows. According to the organisation, the declining trend in Scotland stands in contrast to the global increase in established women-led businesses. This 'exposes a key disconnect' between Scotland's 'thriving' start-up culture and the inability of many such businesses to make it to the growth phase. WES declared that improving the current outcomes for female-led start-ups has the potential to unlock an estimated £17 billion boost to the Scottish economy every year. Read more: Carolyn Currie, chief executive of Women's Enterprise Scotland, said: 'A perfect storm of economic conditions and structural inequalities is halting the progress of women-led businesses, despite their start-up successes. What we are seeing is an alarming number of new women-led businesses failing to thrive. They are simply falling into an abyss, leaving their economic potential and the ambitions of their founders unfulfilled. The WES survey reveals a clear demand for needs-based business support, with the majority of respondents advocating for a Women's Business Centre model. 'Many of the issues - and suggested actions that need to be taken - have been highlighted in research numerous times over the past 30 years. We can continue to watch talented women entrepreneurs leave the market, taking billions in economic potential with them, or we can implement the evidence-based solutions this study provides. The choice is clear - the community has spoken, and we need to listen. The time for action is now.' WES noted that successive governments in Scotland have committed to inclusive growth and women's entrepreneurship, most recently in response to the Pathways Report, with up to £2.6m released for support in 2024 to 2025 and at least £4m in 2025 to 2026. However, it said women's entrepreneurship has not benefited from long-term investment in support provision that is comparable to other areas of business, despite the economic opportunity represented by women as 51% of the population. The WES survey found that economic conditions are threatening business sustainability and reveals a 'devastating' cost for women-led businesses; 78% cannot recover all their increased costs, 41% cannot recover any cost increases, 55% are using personal savings to capitalise their businesses, and 52% are making no pension provision, threatening retirement security.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Call for urgent action as Scottish female-led start-ups fail at ‘alarming' rate
'The choice is clear - the community has spoken, and we need to listen. The time for action is now' – Carolyn Currie, WES Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland is missing out on a £17 billion economic opportunity amid an 'alarming' failure rate among female-led businesses, it has been claimed. Releasing new research, Women's Enterprise Scotland (WES) said it was calling for urgent action to tackle the high levels of women-led ventures failing to progress beyond the start-up phase. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The authors of the study highlight that while more women are starting up in business than men in Scotland, fewer of the former are making it through the post-start-up phase to establish and grow. Women's Enterprise Scotland (WES) CEO Carolyn Currie. Picture by Malcolm Cochrane Photography While female-led business start-ups have increased to 54 per cent of all new ventures in Scotland, according to a Business Gateway Impact Report, the post-start-up pipeline has a high attrition rate of 61 per cent, and women-led employer businesses have dropped to just 20 per cent of all employer businesses. This declining trend in Scotland is said to be at odds with the global increase in established women-led businesses. Tackling the issue north of the Border and improving current outcomes for women-led start-up businesses has the potential to unlock an estimated £17bn 'reward' for the Scottish economy every year, WES said. This would eliminate almost two-thirds of the current public sector spending deficit, which now stands at £26.2bn, according to the latest Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report. Achieving parity would eliminate over 80 per cent of the deficit. Carolyn Currie, chief executive of Women's Enterprise Scotland, said: 'A perfect storm of economic conditions and structural inequalities is halting the progress of women-led businesses, despite their start-up successes. What we are seeing is an alarming number of new women-led businesses failing to thrive. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They are simply falling into an abyss, leaving their economic potential and the ambitions of their founders unfulfilled. The WES survey reveals a clear demand for needs-based business support. 'Many of the issues - and suggested actions that need to be taken - have been highlighted in research numerous times over the past 30 years,' she added. 'We can continue to watch talented women entrepreneurs leave the market, taking billions in economic potential with them, or we can implement the evidence-based solutions this study provides. 'The choice is clear - the community has spoken, and we need to listen. The time for action is now.' The survey found that economic conditions are threatening business sustainability and reveals a devastating cost for women-led businesses. Some 78 per cent cannot recover all their increased costs, 55 per cent are using personal savings to capitalise their businesses and 52 per cent are making no pension provision, threatening retirement security. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The report also highlighted inequities in Covid pandemic business relief distribution, with female-led businesses receiving just 10.6 per cent of grant funds, despite comprising 15.4 per cent of all businesses.
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Female-led Spaghetti Western with Sicilian flavour being cooked up in Galloway
The film is the latest initiative from writer and director Jessica Fox, who hopes it will help open the door for more female influence over the movie industry. A Spaghetti Western with a difference is being cooked up in Galloway. The film will have all the usual features of a Wild West movie – sheriffs, gun-toting outlaws, wagon trains, saloons, bar brawls and shootouts. But the entire project is female-led and aims to be fully funded by women. And the Scottish project will also have a Sicilian flavour. Spaghetti Western is the latest initiative from Wigtown-based, US-born writer and director Jessica Fox who hopes it will help open the door for more female influence over the movie industry. She and London-based producer Diana Phillips, believe it's essential to have more films created from the female gaze and with female financing. Jessica said: 'It's a fun, authentic, deliciously different take on the Wild West – how it was really won, as gun toting bad guys face the ultimate showdown when Sicilian cookery comes to town. 'But the project is far bigger, it's about empowering women of the 21st century to start transforming the movie industry, by getting involved as investors, directors and producers. 'It's a sector that's overwhelmingly dominated by men. Men decide who and what to fund, the film and TV that we watch and our cultural narratives. Even the films with female central characters are largely made through the male gaze. 'It's time that changed, with fresh stories and ideas that bring new perspectives to the big screen – and with that, new audiences. 'The only way that's going to happen is if we begin making movies that are funded by women and offer the insights and experience they need to truly take the leading role. 'She who holds the purse strings tells the story.' Spaghetti Western is set in 1881 when Elena Fardella, a young Sicilian widow, finds herself thrust into the battle for control of the remote, dust-blown town of Eden, New Mexico. Her only weapon is her skill as a cook and determination to use food to bring people together. Jessica, who is behind award-winning movie Stella and the romantic memoir Three Things You Need To Know About Rockets, has secured Grammy and award and Pulitzer Prize winning Rhiannon Giddens to record the soundtrack and it is hoped filming will begin next year. Development funding is in place, thanks to female angel investors, with chair of Women's Enterprise Scotland professor Lynne Cadenhead backing the project. The team is now calling on other women to get involved, with investors being offered the chance to appear in the film. Diana Phillips said: 'We have a brilliant script, a great creative team, the music has been recorded and development funding is in place – now we are looking for women to come forward as investors and collaborators so we can make a great movie and a real difference to the movie industry.'
The Herald Scotland
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Plans launched for Scottish 'women only western'
A female-led project from Scotland has launched an ambitious plan to create the first wild west film funded entirely by women. 'Spaghetti Western' is the latest initiative from Wigtown-based and US-born writer and director Jessica Fox, who hopes it will help open the door for more female influence over the movie industry. She, and London-based producer Diana Phillips, believe it's essential to have more films created from the female gaze and with female financing. Spaghetti Western is set in 1881 when Elena Fardella, a young Sicilian widow, finds herself thrust into the battle for control of the remote, dust-blown town of Eden, New Mexico. Her only weapon is her skill as a cook and determination to use food to bring people together. The team are hoping to make the first female-funded western (Image: Colin Hattersley) Fox, known for her award-winning movie Stella and her romantic memoir Three Things You Need To Know About Rockets has put together a vibrant international creative team, including the Grammy award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens. Development funding is in place, thanks to female angel investors, and the team is calling on other women to seize the chance to be part of a project aiming to change the movie-making landscape. Fox said: 'It's a fun, authentic, deliciously different take on the Wild West – how it was really won, as gun toting bad guys face the ultimate showdown when Sicilian cookery comes to town. 'But the project is far bigger, it's about empowering women of the 21st century to start transforming the movie industry, by getting involved as investors, directors and producers. 'It's a sector that's overwhelmingly dominated by men. Men decide who and what to fund, the film and TV that we watch and our cultural narratives. Even the films with female central characters are largely made through the male gaze. 'It's time that changed, with fresh stories and ideas that bring new perspectives to the big screen – and with that, new audiences. 'The only way that's going to happen is if we begin making movies that are funded by women and offer the insights and experience they need to truly take the leading role. 'She who holds the purse strings tells the story.' READ MORE: Emma Thompson joins Kenmure Street documentary as producer First glimpse of new documentary about influential Scottish band at Cannes Investors are being offered a variety of benefits in addition to a potential return, including the chance to make an appearance on film. Phillips said: 'We have a brilliant script, a great creative team, the music has been recorded and development funding is in place – now we are looking for women to come forward as investors and collaborators so we can make a great movie and a real difference to the movie industry.' Among the women who have come together to provide development funding for Spaghetti Western is Professor Lynne Cadenhead, chair of Women's Enterprise Scotland and chief operating officer of TRICAPITAL Angels Ltd. She said: 'Funding remains one of the biggest barriers to getting women's stories on screen. The truth is, whoever controls the purse strings tells the story — and it's time for that to change. Spaghetti Western offers a groundbreaking model for women to back each other creatively, take control of the storytelling, and build a legacy that lasts.'
